THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a corruption suit against the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro (SAN), accusing him of conniving with the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom to defraud the state of the sum of N1.4billion.

The case has been assigned to Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court in Lagos, and December 10, has been fixed for the arraignment of the accused persons.

According to the EFCC, the NBA President, Usoro, committed the crime in connivance with Governor Udom and four others, namely: Nsikan Nkan, the Commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State; Mfon Udomah, the Accountant-General of Akwa Ibom State; Uwemedimo Nwoko, described the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State; and one Margaret Ukpe.

The governor was not listed as a defendant in the charge sheet as, according to the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, he is “currently constitutionally immune against criminal prosecution”. The other accused persons were said to be at large.

Oyedepo stated that Usoro and the other accused persons committed the offence sometime in 2015, and that the offence was contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

Usoro was elected NBA President in August this year and was to chair his first meeting of the association’s  National Executive Committee (NEC) on Thursday, before his arrest on Thursday.